Danny O’Connor is trying to bring boxing back to Boston

By: Ian Brophy

Danny O,Connor

On May 24 Boston and New York will open up a new chapter in a storied rivalry that already includes Red Sox- Yankees and Patriots- Jets. This time the rivalry will come off the field and step into the boxing ring as a fight card, sponsored by the Dropkick Murphys, will be made up entirely of Boston based fighters against New York fighters with live music between every bout.

The main event will feature Boston’s Danny O’Connor (16-1, 4 KOs) against Daniel Sostre (11-5-1, 4KOs) of New York.

O’Connor, a light welterweight (140 pounds), has dreams of bringing a world championship belt to Boston and said he feels honored to have the opportunity to represent his hometown.

“My ultimate goal is to bring a world championship belt back to Boston,” said O’Connor, in a phone interview. “The Red Sox got their World Series, The Bruins got their cup and I want to add a world title belt to that.”

The fights will take place at the House of Blues in Boston just across the street from Fenway Park. This will be the first time the House of Blues will host professional Boxing and O’Connor is excited about the venue.

“I can’t believe someone hasn’t thought of it before,” O’Connor said. “It’s going to be great, there is no bad seat in the house. Having bands play in between fights to have that sense of rock and roll also, I mean I can’t even wait.”

Danny O'Connor (left) landing an uppercut against Jose Guerrido (right).

O’Connor, a former National Golden Gloves Champion and 2008 Olympic alternate as an amateur, has recently partnered up with the Dropkick Murphys in pursuit of a world title shot. The Dropkick Murphys will utilize their large fan base and brand to help O’Connor, who said he is thankful to have their support.

“[The Dropkick Murphys] have reached where I want to go in terms of building a brand,” O’Connor added. “To have the help of someone like the Dropkick Murphys is a godsend… I cant even express in words how appreciative I am.

O’Connor, 27 of Framingham, said the partnership also hopes to bring boxing back to the forefront of Boston sports.

“There is so much history there that I think the sport and especially Boston are looking for that next fighter that they can really support and follow,” he added. “With the support of my new partnership with Ken Casey and the Dropkick Murphys, I think we can bring the sport back to Boston and have these fans get excited for a Danny O fight night and pack the house.”

O’Connor changed trainers after the first loss of his professional career, which came just over a year ago in a unanimous decision to then undefeated Gabriel Bracero. Bracero dominated and won every round on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

O’Connor now trains with Ronnie Shields, World Boxing Hall of Fame’s trainer of the year in 2003, in Houston at the Savannah Boxing Gym. Danny is 2-0 since switching to Shields and is confident that trend will continue.

“I’m working with one of the best coaches in the world with hall of fame coach Ronnie Shields and I’m learning every single day that I am around him,” he said. “Coach Ronnie will watch the films and study the opponent and have a good game plan going into the fight.”

Daniel "The Hudson Valley Kid" Sostre

O’Connor may be able to take away something from Sostre’s last fight, which was against Bracero in October of last year. Sostre, who is currently training in Puerto Rico, suffered a similar defeat by unanimous decision with Bracero winning every round according to two of the judges’ scorecards.

This fight will be the biggest test for O’Connor since he fought Bracero and a win will set him on the right path towards a title shot. Sostre will be one of the most experienced foes of Danny’s career, but Shields believes this fight will be stepping-stone for O’Connor.

“I anticipate him winning,” said Shields. “Once I put a game plan together I anticipate him to stick to it and I got high expectations for Danny, so I am expecting him to really look good in this fight.”

Shields, has worked with notable fighters such as Pernell Whitaker, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, and could be the difference in O’Connor’s career. Shields said that O’Connor has the chance to be one of the best fighters he has ever trained.

“I think Danny has the potential to be champion of the world,” Shields added. “He has a lot of skills, he is a very hard worker, and when you incorporate that together with the good team around him, I think he can have a very successful boxing career and that includes winning a world title.”

Shields, 53, said O’Connor’s hunger to learn and determination are what makes a champion. For Danny, staying motivated is easy because of his family and training partners.

Ronnie Shields

“[Boxing] isn’t just a job it’s my life,” said O’Connor. “The biggest thing is I have a one year-old boy and wife at home. Every day I wake up next to them and look at my little boy and I don’t need any extra motivation because I’m already so motivated.”

However, it hasn’t all been easy for the kid from Framingham. Since moving to Houston O’Connor has found it difficult to adjust at times and compared it to living on another world.

“Obviously Houston is way different than Boston, sometimes I feel like I’m on Mars down here. There are no Dunkin Donuts bro!” said O’Connor, while bursting into laughter.

“It’s definitely a switch and it has taken some adjustment living here, but at the end of the day I sacrifice whatever it takes to make my goals in the ring come true,” he added.

O’Connor said he also hopes to fight at other historical venues in Boston, but just needs to keep winning and moving forward until those days come.

“I think there is a lot of plans for the future like possibly a fight in the Boston Garden or even a fight at Fenway Park,” O’Connor added. “I just see big things in the future and I just have to keep grinding everyday and do what I do best, which is work hard.”

Danny O’Connor vs. Daniel Sostre Fight Preview

Final Project Proposal

I wanted to preview a fight card that is being hosted by the band the Dropkick Murphys. It is going to take place on May 24 at the House of Blues here in Boston. The fight card is going to be Boston vs. New York themed. It will have Boston fighters vs. New York fighters only. The headliner is going to be Boston native Danny O’Connor, 2008 national golden gloves champion and former Olympic alternate. He is 16-1 as a professional fighter and I would possibly try to do a feature story on him as part of the preview. I could not find anybody else who is going to be on the card but will do my research to find out. I was thinking I might be able to just profile the boxers that will be representing Boston. I will also try to talk to the New York Fighters through phone interviews.

Streaky Week for the Arizona Diamondbacks

(Courtesy of ESPN.com)

By Ian Brophy

This past week saw the Arizona Diamondbacks tie their longest losing streak of the spring schedule and respond with their longest winning streak. The Diamondbacks started the week with a four game losing streak but turned it around on Thursday with a 12-2 thumping of the Chicago Cubs. The Diamondbacks extended the win streak to four with wins on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before losing their second game on Sunday to the Oakland Athletics.

Notes:

• New addition Trevor Cahill, right-handed pitcher, lost a game Tuesday to the LA Angels and Sunday to his former team the Oakland Athletics. This puts his spring record at 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA in eight innings pitched. His loss to the Angels also marked former Dbacks pitcher, Dan Haren’s second win this spring for the Angels.

• Former outfielder Jason Lane entered Diamondbacks spring training as a pitcher but on Thursday was sent down to the minor league camp. Lane had one inning pitched, walking two hitters and allowing one earned run off of one hit. “Today I
  

  Jason Lane (Courtesy of ESPN.com)

  had to deal with the hardest part of the game,” Lane wrote on his Facebook page. “I was called into the manager’s office and told I was being sent down to the minor leagues. It’s a feeling you never get used to and it is very hard to walk out of a major clubhouse with your head high and confident that you can play at that level and to know in your heart that you will be back. It is the only option though! FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.”

• Jim Bowden tweeted Friday that the Diamondbacks are discussing the possibility of moving Josh Collmenter to the bullpen. This move would open up a spot in the starting rotation. The spot would probably be filled by 21 year-old Trevor Bauer. Bauer has a 3.60 ERA in five innings pitched with five strikeouts and only one walk. Collmenter has been far less impressive with a 13.50 ERA through four innings pitched.

• Diamondbacks starting shortstop Stephen Drewhas not played a Cactus League game yet and is expected to miss opening day with an injured ankle. Last season Drew injured his ankle when his cleat caught the dirt and his foot bent awkwardly
  

  Stephen Drew (AP Photo/Matt York)

  on a slide into home. The Diamondbacks currently have John Mcdonald, Willie Bloomquist, and Geoff Blum to replace the injured Drew. However, the Diamondbacks may be looking for a more permanent fix for a 29 year-old shortstop recovering from a bad lower leg injury. The team has depth at pitching that it can use in a trade for a longterm solution like Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals or Cliff Pennington of the Athletics. At the end of the season the Diamondbacks will also have a $10 million option with a $1.35 million buyout on Drew for next season.

• Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders left a game in the first inning on Monday after being hit in the left shin by a line drive that came off the bat of Cleveland’s Carlos Santana. However, Saunders said he does not expect to miss any time after the ball struck him in the side of the shin.

• The Washington Nationals may be looking to acquire Gerardo Parrafrom the Diamondbacks. Danny Knobler tweeted that the Dbacks’ asking price is high but the nationals have plenty of young
  

  Gerardo Parra (Courtesy Phoenix New Times)

  talent to offer including Ian Desmond and Jeff Lombardozzi, which could be longterm solutions for the Diamondbacks at shortstop. Parra is 24 years-old and had a .292 average last season with 15 stolen bases. Parra was also regarded as a top defensive outfielder last season but has found himself as the Diamondbacks fourth choice outfielder behind Chris Young, Justin Upton, and the newly signed Jason Kubel.

The Quiet Star of Emerson Baseball

Peter Maltzen standing at second base. (Courtesy of Austin Fontanella)

By Ian Brophy

On cold February days in Boston, in the basement level of 150 Boylston Street you can find the Emerson College baseball team practicing on a basketball court.

The practices can get quite loud with music blaring and baseballs being hit, thrown, and caught. You can also hear several team captains pushing the team to work harder in preparation for the upcoming season. Among all the noise will be a tall lanky outfielder, with a mustache that reminds you of the 70’s, practicing with a quiet intensity.

Peter Maltzan, a senior team captain from Lexington, Mass., will begin his fourth season with the Emerson Lions. He has been a constant source of production for the Lions with his incredible work ethic and determination to do things the right way.

“He really leads by example. He is not the guy that really gets in your face and yells at people, but he goes out there and does everything right, everything mechanically sound and just sets a good example for the underclassmen,” said Malcolm Kelner, a freshman outfielder.

Peter Maltzan (Left), James Sullivan (Center), Adam Speakman (Right). (Courtesy of Austin Fontanella)

Maltzan, also known as “Salty,” wasn’t always viewed as a star, but he quickly proved his doubters wrong and has started every year he has played for Emerson.

“Maltzan doesn’t look or really act anything like ball players of today,” said Austin Fontanella, a fellow senior captain and outfielder. “He loves the old school facial hair, he rocks the tight fitting legs up baseball pants, and he is 100 percent fundamentally sound.  We all knew he was fundamentally sound when we first met him, but no one though he would be as good as he has been.”

After starting his freshman year with a .271 batting average, he had a breakout sophomore year averaging .376 and breaking an Emerson single season record with 37 RBIs.

Maltzan, a Berklee College of Music student, said he wasn’t even sure he was going to play college baseball when he came out of high school. As a freshman at Emmanuel College he played club baseball and then transferred to Berklee.

As a Berklee student he found out he could play for Emerson through the Pro Arts Consortium.

“I was pretty stoked to get on the team and it has been a lot of fun,” Maltzan said. “I have tried to make the most of this opportunity.”

Maltzan has earned the respect of his teammates but has also earned honors from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. He was name second team all-conference in 2010 as a sophomore and third team all-conference in 2011.

“He is always looking to get better and finding ways to help us out,” Fontanella said. “He is never just sitting around during practice, but always looking for ways to work on his skills.”

Fontanella added that Maltzan has been working hard in the offseason to become more solid defensively.

“Salty really worked on getting quicker in the off season… He is definitely faster and has been tracking down everything during practice,” Fontanella said. “It’s good to know he is out there because I know left field is secure.”

Maltzan credited his “unique intensity” for his success during his time at Emerson, while he looks to add onto a career batting average of .325 for the Lions.

Peter Maltzan at bat. (Courtesy of Austin Fontanella)

“You just have to trust yourself in the moment and find a way to relax,” said Maltzan. “I am a big believer in being relaxed and comfortable. I just try to clear my head as much as possible and react.”

Maltzan added that he thinks the team can have its most successful season ever, but he just wants to focus on the next game and the next moment.

“I think we have a shot at a 20 win season,” said Maltzan. “Baseball is a funny game, it’s hard to predict. I try not to look too far down the road.”

Rough Commentary for a Rough Game

Tottenham's Jake Livermore (left) trying to get the ball from Luke Freeman (Courtesy sportinglife.com).

Tottenham Hotspur played League One side Stevenage in the fifth round of the FA Cup. In the United States the game aired on FoxSoccer and the announcers were Martin Tyler and Gary O’Reilly

I have listened to many games with Tyler as the play-by-play announcer, but have never heard O’Reilly do color commentary on a game before.

Tyler is usually a good play-by-play announcer and I usually enjoy him in most games. However, this game I was a little disappointed by both Tyler and O’Reilly.

The game was slow, physical, and defensive, so it was a rather hard game to commentate. After the game it was revealed by Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp that the pitch was in bad shape and did not allow Tottenham to play the open and exciting football they have become known for.

The slow nature of the 0-0 draw may have played a factor in the quality of the announcing. However, a better job could have been done particularly in the first half.

Stevenage was a massive underdog in this game and to keep Tottenham from scoring is an incredible accomplishment. Tottenham is the highest placed team left in the FA Cup, while Stevenage is the lowest. The astonishing feat by Stevenage was not conveyed through the announcing.

The first 8 minutes of the game Tyler was giving analysis and background information about the two teams, but did not describe what was happening on the field once. O’Reilly was impressive in the first 15 minutes giving insightful commentary about the game and background information.

Another thing I noticed very early on was that it was a little hard to hear the announcers over the sound of the crowd. The extremely loud environment provided by the fans may have also made the their jobs even harder.

The game was played in Stevenage, which has a small stadium and not a very good press area. Just over 7,000 came out to see the game in full force singing and chanting the entire game.

O’Reilly pretty much disappeared for the rest of the first half only chiming in a few times. Once in the 30^th minute he gave some insightful commentary about the game being played out in the midfield. That seemed to be his only significant commentary in the final half hour of the first half.

Martin Tyler (Mike Hewitt/ Getty Images)

Tyler was not describing things very well in his play-by-play just saying the occasional player’s name as the ball was being passed around. However, towards the end of the first half it seemed that Tyler finally got into the game a little bit.

One thing I that showed some better description by Tyler was when Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale received a pass and started taking the ball down the wing.

Tyler said, “A chance for Bale to show his incredible pace here.”

Tyler continued the good play-by-play for the last ten minutes of the first half and it seemed as if he had woken up.

He did make a few errors though right at the end of the first half by confusing two Tottenham players. Jermaine Defoe, a Tottenham Striker, drew a free kick on the edge of the box and Tyler said it was the third free kick Defoe had drawn in that area. However, the two previous free kicks he was referring to were actually drawn by the other Tottenham striker Louis Saha.

In the second half Tyler kept the same intensity level as the end of the first half, which was definitely an improvement. This could also have been because both teams opened up and played more attacking soccer.

One particular point I liked was when Stevenage made two substitutions to freshen their strike force. O’Reilly questioned the move and said Stevenage should be more defensive minded against a team like Tottenham. Tyler defended the move and said the substitutions could provide stevenage with a little more bite on the attack and win them the game. A back and forth, like that, between the two announcers had been missing all game.

Other than that moment O’Reilly seemed largely absent for the latter half of the game as well, but the most notable error of the second half came in the closing minutes.

With the game hanging in the balance and both teams getting chances to win it, Tyler showed very little passion or emotion. It was an agonizing and nail-biting finish for both sets of fans, yet Tyler reverted to the similar slow involvement he started the game with.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and the Attempt to Keep Boxing Alive

Manny Pacquiao (courtesy of HBO)

When two grown men cannot agree to make 50 million dollars each, you have to wonder who is at fault. Most people tend to look at the fighters themselves and call one or the other a coward. I doubt either one of them are scared because you don’t make it to the pinnacle of boxing by being a coward. So whats the problem?

As an experienced amateur boxer, I know the art of boxing and I’m familiar with the (extremely messy and ridiculous) process of negotiating a fight. I have trained with former world champions like Glenn Johnson and have seen pre and post fight drama play out.

The blame for the decline in boxing lies with many people. The governing bodies and their ridiculous decisions, the modern day heavyweight athlete preferring to play football, and the promoters are all at fault.

When it comes to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the consensus one and two on the pound-for-pound list, the governing bodies and modern day heavyweight play virtually no role in getting the fight done. However, the promoters like Bob Arum do.

I want to be clear about this. The reason we don’t get to watch Mayweather fight Pacquiao on May 5 is Arum’s greed.

(How is $50 million not enough?!)

Arum is the CEO of Top Rank Promotions, which currently has Manny Pacquiao under contract.

Fight negotiations can be so complicated and twisted but so many of the kinks for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, which would easily be the most lucrative fight in history, have been worked out in the public eye. So here is a quick summary of what is keeping the fight from happening in no particular order.

• Arum and Floyd Mayweather hate each other.
• Arum only wants Pacquiao to fight other Top Rank fighters, so he can keep the money in the “family” and not split the profits with another promotion company.
• Arum knows Pacquiao will probably lose and Arum doesn’t want to lose his cash cow.
• Floyd Mayweather has a huge ego and believes he is the bigger draw, so he thinks he deserves more than 50 percent of the purse.

One thing I want to address is the debate about who would win the fight. I firmly believe that Mayweather would defeat Pacquiao. In boxing, styles make fights and Mayweather’s defensive counterpunching style is perfect to beat Pacquiao.

The most difficult fights of Pacquiao’s career have been against Juan Manuel Marquez, a counterpuncher that resembles Mayweather but is not as skilled and was dominated by Mayweather.

Pacquiao’s viscous attacking style is what makes him good but it will play into Mayweather’s style. Pacquiao is also a southpaw so when he comes forward he is more open to getting hit with Mayweather’s best punch, his straight right.

I think Mayweather would win convincingly and most boxing fighters and trainers I have spoken to agree. However, as a boxer, fight fan and general human being I have never wanted to see a fight this much and hopefully before they get too old.

Mayweather turns 35 on Feb. 24 and is scheduled to serve an 87-day jail sentence after a plea deal on domestic violence charges relating to an incident involving his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris.

He was supposed to begin his sentence on Jan. 6 but the judge in the case deferred his report date to June 1after Mayweather’s attorney successfully argued that Mayweather should be allowed to fight on May 5 to honor an existing deal with the MGM Grand and inject $100 million into the struggling Las Vegas economy.

Floyd Mayweather (AP photo by Luis M. Alvarez)

Before the suspension of Mayweather’s sentence, Arum said Pacquiao, 33, could fight on May 5. When Mayweather’s sentence was postponed, Arum backpedalled and said that fighting on that date was out of the question.

Mayweather then called out Pacquiao on twitter and called him to personally discuss the fight negotiations without Arum.

It was all for nothing as the two fighters could not come to an agreement. The two have now agreed to other fights but this fight could have easily been made if Arum were not in the picture.

At one point promoters have to start thinking about the long-term well being of boxing and not the short-term filling of their wallets. Realistically what’s good for boxing will be good for them in the long run.

Mayweather has agreed to a fight with Miguel Cotto, who just recently left Arum’s promotion company. Meanwhile, Pacquiao has agreed to fight Timothy Bradley. Both are very exciting fights with Mayweather moving up in weight for a fight many fans have been waiting for and Pacquiao, who looked shaky in his last bout, against a young, hungry Bradley on June 9.

(Funny how when Cotto was under Arum’s management a fight with Mayweather could not be agreed to, but now that he is free of Arum the fight is on.)

Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson in their first fight (courtesy Al Bello/Getty)

It seems as though someone realized that in order to save boxing some kind of compensation had to be made for the loss of “The Biggest Fight Ever”, because instead the boxing gods have graced the fans with four great fights.

The two mentioned above along with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Shane Mosley, which will be on the same card as Mayweather-Cotto on May 5, and Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson II on May 19.

If you’re looking to buy a fight and even if you’re not, I advise buying or finding a way to watch the May 5 pay-per-view. I anticipate two unbelievable fights. Alvarez, a rising star, against Mosley, the veteran and former champion, and Mayweather-Cotto on the same card will provide a great night for anybody who watches.

So maybe boxing isn’t dead, but once Mayweather gets out of jail a fight with Pacquiao must be made. It can save boxing, but if that’s not enough of a reason I can think of 100 million more.

Shane Mosley (Courtesy HBO)

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (courtesy HBO)

Death by Manchester Review

Left: Jermaine Defoe getting by Manchester City goalie Joe Hart (courtesy of ESPN.com).                             Right: Andrei Arshavin being chased by two Man United players (courtesy of ESPN.com).

By Ian Brophy

“Death by Manchester” written by David Hirshey is an article on ESPN.com. It was published on January 23 and is about two English premier League games: Tottenham vs. Manchester City and Arsenal vs. Manchester United, both on January 22. The article talks about the important points in both games and the impact of the outcomes.

The analysis in the article is very insightful and takes on both games individually. I think his choice to analyze the games separately was the right decision because dealing with them at the same time could confuse readers. The introduction of the article is also good because it ties the two games together and sets up the article.

One part of the article I think could be bad sports journalism, is the fact that Hirshey openly talks about how he is an Arsenal fan. This could lead readers to discount his writing as biased. Especially when he is writing about Arsenal and Tottenham (Arsenal’s bitter rivals).

However, when reading the article his love for arsenal comes across as him being open about his feelings with his readers. It is as though he is giving full disclosure to the readers. In a way it makes his writing seem more objective at times and also more personal to readers. Such as when he says “As much as I always enjoy seeing Redknapp in a lather — not that I could revel in Spursfreude all that long considering the nausea-inducing result that followed barely two hours later — he can feel aggrieved that his side’s improbable title challenge dissipated in a cloud of controversy thanks to the cue-balled, bat-blind Webb.”This shows that while he dislikes tottenham, he still recognizes that a referee’s mistake led to them losing the game and possibly a shot at the title. He also criticizes Arsenal and their coach throughout the article.

The only time I think you can see a bit of bias is when he is analyzing the Arsenal game. He writes about Arsenal’s mistakes but fails to credit Manchester United adequately for their performance. This could lead to people pointing out a clear bias in his writing. I think as an Arsenal fan he should be careful about the way he rights about Arsenal, but I like that he has full disclosure with his readers about where his loyalty lies.

His writing style is very entertaining, eloquent, honest, and to the point. Overall I think this is a very good article by a good, well respected writer. However, it does have it’s flaws. As I stated before, I think Hirshey should be more mindful of the bias in his writing and how it looks to readers.

David Hirshey (courtesy of ESPN.com)